Gravel Machine

When you create a stage race consisting of a gravel road hill climb (stage 1), a gravel road descent (stage 2), a rolling road TT (stage 3), and a singletrack descent (stage 4)—all connected by 46 miles of gravel roads that have to be ridden by competitors in order to qualify for competition at each stage—you get a race that almost anyone from the upper echelons of pro mountain biking, cyclocross, and road racing could win… and it’s called Grinduro. The combination of the enduro mountain biking race format combined with gravel road racing has broad appeal. It brings out both serious competitors and fun-loving cyclists that want to experience 63 total miles of riding and 8200 feet of climbing riding in the Sierras with their friends. Add in some live music, great food, art, custom bikes on display, camping, and parties and you get an event that you don't want to miss.Photo by Colin MeagherPhoto by Colin MeagherPhoto by Colin MeagherPhoto by Colin MeagherPhoto by Colin Meagher

Retired World Cup Downhill Mountain Biking pro, Duncan Riffle, took the win in the pro class at Grinduro for the second year in a row, but the competition couldn’t have been tighter this year. After totaling the elapsed time on all four stages, Riffle had spent a total of 40 minutes and 22.6 seconds racing between the timing gates—the exact same time down to the tenth of a second as one of his chief rivals, Carl Decker. As improbable as anyone would have expected in a race this long, it ended in a tie with two first-place finishers. Photo by Colin Meagher